Interview With AztroGrizz

There’s no place in the world quite like Colorado. It’s a place of stupefying beauty and unbelievable contrasts. Colorado is where the prairie gives way to the leading edge of the Rockies, where the city collides with the wilderness, and where the spirit of growth and enterprise makes contact with traces of history far older than that of the United States of America. Colorado is where to go to get in touch with titanic natural forces and lose yourself in the rhythms of nature and the transcendent power of the landscape. Grizzly John and Lewis I Am of the hip-hop and soul duo AztroGrizz know all about it: Colorado made them who they are, and on their latest single, they’re giving back to the Centennial State in colorful, compassionate language.

And how do they explain the allure of Colorado? “The character’s strong, but soft like leather,” raps Lewis I Am on the second verse of “The Colorado Song.” He’s getting at the rugged quality of the state and its yielding nature, too — the way that Colorado embraces and gathers in visitors, making them feel at home and giving them a sense of property in the natural world. Of course, that also makes Colorado’s resources easy to exploit, and AztroGrizz is candid about their state’s vulnerability to the predations and attitudes of outsiders. Lewis I Am is upfront about the cost of development and the toll that constant building has taken on the state, and he’s as incisive about those things as he is about Colorado’s gorgeous vistas. In his meditative and beautifully sung verse, Grizzly John imagines a conversation among tourists, complaining about the lack of stores and resorts, the harshness of the weather, and the challenges of the terrain. They’d like to remake Colorado according to their own comforts. But the members of AstroGrizz know what’s at stake: a place where they can feel truly free.

The breathtaking clip for “The Colorado Song” makes that sense of freedom palpable. The camera takes us on roads that skirt the front range of the Rockies; we drive through the blizzard and the snow cover, and we can almost hear the cracking ice on the rivers. We’re shown metropolitan Denver, too, and the handsome towers of a great American city with its own peculiar personality. The video and the song make clear that this is not a place easily tamed, even by those with very deep pockets. Long may that be true.

As a duo, how did you both conclude that your music would be a culmination of pop, hip-hop, and country? What does AztroGrizz’s writing, and production process look like?

In this day in age  music is so over classified…we just wana make music  no  name to it just good music for any situation and feeling in Life …

There are so many beautiful Colorado landscapes included in the music video, can you both explain the process of deciding on the visuals? Do either of you have a favorite visual?

ya ….from the start  to the finish is favorite lol but it’s hard to pick a favorite …….

Was there a specific moment or conversation that sparked the idea for “The Colorado Song”?

 We always knew we needed a Colorado song … but finding the right feel and msg just took a lil bit of time  not long tho  but worth the wait ……

“And all the attitudes, man these local attitudes” are just a few of the lyrics that address negative aspects? Did you both hesitate to include those negative attitudes out of concern for the listeners’ response, or did you know the lyrics had to be incorporated into the song?

I mean  Colorado  is a beautiful place.  …But just like all places it’s  not with out it’s flaws  it’s  important to  show that to …gota be real …….

Why is it important for a track like “The Colorado Song” to be created and shared with the world? How do you hope it makes listeners feel?

This song is really for Colorado   ….It’s like if you are here  or from Colorado you get it  … …hope it give you  a scenes pride and a hope for the future ……

What have been some of both of your proudest moments as a duo in the music industry? What do you envision for the future of AztroGrizz? 

Man the stars are the  limit   ……We wana keep pushing  our sound the way we wana   ….all the moments in this crazy industry are proud moments …the highs and lows …….